Vaccine injector



March 28, 1944.

VACCINE INJECTOR E. PowELL `2,345,070

Filed Nov. 5, 1942 /n Ve'n for* Patented Mar. 28, 1944 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE VACCINE INJECTOR Edward Powell, Portland, Oreg.Application November 3, 1942, Serial No. 464,360

(Cl. 12S-215) 9 Claims.

This invention is directed to an improvement in vaccine injectors,designed more particularly for fowl vaccination, but in no particularlimited to this use. r

In vaccination treatment, particularly of fowl, it is important that thevaccine be thoroughly protected against contamination before and duringuse, and that the definitely predetermined quantity be delivered at eachapplication. Furthermore, it is of material advantage to avoid possibleintercommunication of disease from one treated fowl to the next fowlbeing treated, and such advantage can only be obtained by discarding anyelement of the applicator that has contacted the fowl-being treated andprovide entirely new elements for each successive fowl.

The primary object of the invention, therefore, vlis the provision of anapplicator, in which the vaccine carrier is made up substantially instripform, divided into independent and readily separable points, formedto receive a predetermined quantity of vaccine, each charge point afteruse being broken off and discarded.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a holderformed tohouse and protectthe applicator strip, provided with means to receiveand protect a quantity of vaccine, and having manually operable meanswhereby the applicator strip is charged at a particular area with apredetermined quantity of vaccine, and then projected for use, the usedpoint being manually separated from the applicator strip after use toexpose a charged fresh point.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view, partly in tion, showing the completeapplicator.

Figure 2 is a broken section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a broken perspective view showing the ejector nozzle of theapplicator, illustrating a used point broken from the applicator stripand a fresh charged point ready for use.

Figure 5 is a broken perspective view of the applicator strip.

The improved applicator includes a casing I, formed at one end with avaccine chamber 2, in which vaccine, indicated at 3, may be introducedthrough any suitable opening-not shown-and completely protected from anyexterior contamination. The casing in rear of the chamber 2 is formed at4 to receive and house a freely-rotatelevaable drum 5 for carrying adesired length of the applicator strip 28, hereinafter referred to.

The casing below the vaccine chamber Vand drum is formed to provide anoperating chamber 5, having communication with the drum chamber andextending forward of the casing as a preferablerectangular channel l,opening through the forward end of the casing. A pistol grip 8 dependingfrom the operating chamber provides Ylor convenient handling of theapplicator.

Mounted in and substantially tting and frictionally held in the channel1 is arranged a guide block 30, preferably of flexible material, asrubber. The block 3i) is formed with a longitudinally-ranging guideway3l, corresponding in size and shape to the similar dimensions of theapplicator strip 2B, the guideway 3l being open at its rear end toreceive the strip 28 from the drum and open at the front end to permitprotection of the strip in use.

The strip 2S is formed as more particularly shown in Figure 5,comprising a section of thin appropriate material, formed at intervals,as by stamping with forwardly-converging depressions 35, meeting in apoint in the longitudinal central line of tne strip, and terminatingvshort of the side edges of the strip, as indicated at 36. Thedepressions ae extend through the material and thus provide recesses toreceive and temporarily house a charge oi vaccine, and provide feedingmeans.

The strip is fed, by means to be described, from the drum to and throughthe guideway 3| of the block itil, and the channels of the strip receivea charge of Vaccine in passing beneath communicating openings 4l and 48in the bottom of the vaccine chamber 2 and the block 30 respectively.

The feeding means for the strip 28 is mainly arranged in the chamber 6and includes a trigger 38, pivotally supported at 40 and depending belowthe chamber 6 for convenient operation by a finger of the hand graspingthe grip 8. A pawl 33 is pivotally carried by the upper end of thetrigger 38, with one long arm terminating in a point 4l to engage andadvance the strip 28, and a short arm 43, connected by a spring 42,connected to a wall of the chamber at 45 and to the end of the short arm43 of the pawl at 44. The spring maintains sufficient pressure on thestrip-engaging end of the pawl to insure feeding cooperation of thestrip 28.

In the operation, the point, as shown in Figure 2 at 46, is forced topenetrate the flesh of the fowl. The trigger is then operated, causingthe pawl 33 to engage one of the slots 35, forcing the strip out throughthe block 30, and one of the slots to appear out through the nozzle ofthe applicator. A quantity of vaccine is thus carried into the wound.After such application, the point 46 is broken off, as shown in Figure 4at 35. It will be noted that the following slot has not yet appeared andthat a liquid seal is being maintained within the block 30. The vaccineenters the slots 35 of the strip 28 through an opening 41 of the frameof the instrument, then through the opening 48 of the block 30, directlyinto the slots 35 of the strip 38.

It is believed that an instrument with individual points to be used onthe fowls will undoubtedly prevent the transfer of disease from fowl tofowl.

The device, while generally useful in its particular field, is moreparticularly designed for the introduction of a vaccine, bacterin,antitoxin or combination of these and/or other substances into theanin'iai cody or a part thereof to enable partial or completeimmunization against diseases or body disorders. Its use in theimmunizin'g of turkeys 'and chickens against fowl pox, chickens againstlaryngotra'cheitis being typical' eka-mples. 'It must be understood herethat other diseases show indications of utilizing this -device for'theirprevention and control and it is protection for its use with al1 ofthese types of diseases and disorders on all classes of `animals wheresticking, scarifying or harsh brushing is indicated for effectual use ofthe immunizin'g 'agent that is herein specically requested.

What I claim is:

1.**A vaccine applicator, including a casing having a vaccine reservoir,an applicator' strip, and means for feeding the applicator strip beneathand in communication with such reservoir, said strip comprisingseparable vaccine receiving penetrating points.

2. A vaccine applicator, including a casing having a vaccine reservoir,an applicator strip, a guide block through which the strip passes, andmeans for feeding the strip through the applicator, the reservoir andblock being formed with communicating openings to deliver the vaccineonto the strip.

3. A construction as dened in claim 2, wherein a drum is mounted in thecasing on which the applicator strip is wound for delivery through theguide block.

4. A construction as defined in claim 2, wherein the feeding meansincludes a pawl to engage the applicator strip and a trigger foroperating the pawl.

5. A construction as defined in claim 2, wherein the applicator strip isformed to present channels terminating in a point and stopping short ofthe edges of the strip.

6. A construction as dened in claim 2, wherein the applicator strip isformed to present channels terminating in a point and stopping short ofthe edges of the strip, the point of the channels facing forward in theoperating direction of the strip.

`7. A construction as dened in claim 2, wherein the applicator 4strip isformed to present `channels terminating in a point and stopping .'short'of the edges of the strip, the point of the channels facing forward inthe operating direction of the strip, and the sections of the stripdenned between adjacent channels being manually separa-bie on the stripintegral sections at the ends of the channels 'at will to provide newcharged points for use.

8. A penetrating element for vaccine applicators, made up in strip form,marked for separation into individual vaccine applicators, the-respective points provided by such separating indications permitseparate use of a completely new point at each application. Y

9. A penetrating element for vaccine applicators, made up in strip form,marked for separation into individual vaccine applicators, therespective points provided by such separating indications permitseparate use vof a completely new point at each application, theseparation markings on the strip forming vaccine-receiving channels todeliver vaccine with the penetrating action of each point.

EDWARD POWELL.

